I’m Never Too Far Gone to Save

A diary of my trip to Colorado to see Metallica on the M72 World Tour in June-July 2025.

I was down to my last planned stop on the M72 World Tour. After three years of following Metallica, Denver was the last city I picked to visit to see them. I had never been to Colorado before, and it seemed like an obvious choice.

I originally planned to buy a Lux Æterna Platform for the shows with seven other people. The platforms are elevated and close to the stage and are the ultimate Metallica luxury experience. Despite my Metallica Legacy Fan Club membership, I was unable to get one because they sold out instantly. That was a huge letdown, but I wanted to buy tickets and go anyway.

I asked Susan to join me and she agreed. She had a second home in Denver for a spell and had a lot of friends in the area so I knew she would be a great trip planner and tour guide. Chris said he’d still like to go with his wife Nicole because it was her birthday weekend. So, I grabbed tickets for four seats (Gasp, no Snake Pit or general admission!) and we planned flights and accommodations.

My expectations for the trip were to take in the natural beauty of the Rocky Mountains and to watch The Greatest Band of All Time put on two killer shows. I wanted to rent a Harley and spend two days on the road riding through the mountains.

Our plan was to fly out on the Monday before the first show on Friday and rent a bike for two days that week. But the weather forecast looked terrible for the entire region on Tuesday and Wednesday. So, we changed our flights and hotel reservation and took off on Wednesday instead and scheduled our return for the following Wednesday. We would ride on the following Monday and Tuesday when the forecast looked more promising. At least, that’s what we thought.

Wednesday June 25, 2025

Susan and I left early for our uneventful flight from Newark to Denver. The car rental process became a bit of a saga, and we had a bit of a drive to our first destination, Colorado Springs. I was tired of traveling by the time we got there and wanted to take it easy.

Susan booked a room at a quaint motel called Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort. It was a century old and was festooned with bicycles throughout the property. Had we had more time there, we could have borrowed one of their complementary bikes and rode around town.

Our motel for the night

We grabbed a locally brewed beer at the bar, something I would go on to find there is a lot of in Colorado. I was about halfway into finishing my IPA when I began to feel the effects. That was my first indication that not being at sea-level would make things different for me.

The motel receptionist gave us a recommendation for a restaurant called Swirl in neighboring Manitou Springs. She said she made her boyfriend take her there when she was in the mood for something fancy. That gave me a good laugh. We grabbed an Uber and rode into town.

Manitou Springs is a tourist trap with century-old charm. The mountain views were stunning. The stunning mountain views would go on to be a common refrain for the rest of the trip.

We ate dinner at Swirl Restaurant and Wine Bar, then visited Manitou Brewing Company. A mild shower passed by, and it made a rainbow in front of the mountains.

Found a rainbow

The town shut down early, so we went back to the motel for one more round. A local band was finishing up their set, and we had a friendly conversation with one of the other visitors. It was a good, relaxing start to the trip.

Thursday June 26, 2025

Susan picked Colorado Springs as our first destination because she wanted us to visit Garden of the Gods, a rock formation in front of Pike’s Peak Mountain. It was only a few miles from our motel. We wanted breakfast so I quickly searched for a restaurant with a view, and we drove to The Garden of The Gods Resort.

We found our view at the restaurant there. It looked so fancy that Susan was initially concerned we were not dressed well enough to get in. That was not the case, and they sat us on the deck facing the rocks and the mountains.

The panoramic view from our table was stunning. A mule deer wandered up the hill and munched on the perfectly landscaped flowers while I ate my breakfast burrito. After breakfast, we wandered the resort grounds to see the views and take a few pictures.

Panoramic view from The Garden of The Gods Resort
We didn’t wear our Sunday best, but they let us eat there anyway. I mean, I thought we looked pretty good.

Following that, we drove to The Garden of The Gods Welcome Center. The welcome center has a small museum with artifacts and information about the local rock formations. There was even display about the various types of animal poop one might encounter in the area.

Everything you wanted to know about the local poop

We were early for our e-bike tour reservation, so we walked along a short hiking trail to see parts of the rocks. The views were pretty wild and the weather was perfect.

Garden of The Gods
I don’t like being told what to do

We went back to the welcome center to check in for the e-bike tour. The guide showed us how to ride an e-bike. I’m an avid motorcyclist and Susan is a competitive bicycle racer, but neither of us had ever operated an e-bike so it took a few minutes for us to settle in.

But once we did, the ride was a lot of fun. It was just the two of us on the tour, so we had our guide’s full attention. He took us all around the rock formations so we could see them from every angle. We made a few stops to walk around and see them up close. They all had names and stories behind them. Most of that was lost on me, I just thought it looked cool.

Our e-bikes, stopped to see the rocks
Our fashionable safety helmets
I thought I’d get a leg workout in by lifting this rock
This rock had some fancy name which did not stick with me at all
At the end of the bike trail

Colorado Springs turned out to be a cool place to visit. The sightseeing was spectacular and the food was enjoyable. We wrapped up and drove back to Denver and checked into our hotel on Little Raven Street near the South Plate River.

We went for a walk around the neighborhood and found a restaurant named Linger for dinner. Apparently, it was once a mortuary before being converted into a restaurant. Sweet!

I learned that night that Denver is not a late-night town. Everything was closing or closed by the time we finished dinner. We walked around a bit, found a place for a nightcap, and called it a night.

Friday June 27, 2025

Unfortunately, both of us had to wake up and work remotely on Friday. But it was going to be a good day anyway, we were going to see Metallica!

Unlike most of the stadiums we’ve visited on this tour, Empower Field at Mile High Stadium is in the middle of the city and surrounded by eateries and bars. We settled on Briar Common Brewery + Eatery as a meeting place and found Chris and Nicole there for a pre-show happy hour and dinner.

I met a guy named Joe who was there by himself to see the show. He had also followed Metallica around and had seen them numerous times. We finished up and walked two blocks to the stadium in time to get our complimentary Metallica Yeti bottles and get to our seats in time for Limp Bizkit to take the stage.

Limp Bizkit was one of my favorite bands in the early 2000’s. They were somewhat brutish and banal, but their music really moved me, and singing along was fun. I got to see them from the Snakepit in Philadelphia earlier in the year and because of the rain that night, DJ Lethal could not complete the set after his equipment fried.

This time around, the weather was perfect and they played a high intensity set. Wes Borland donned an outfit and wig that imitated James Hetfield’s look from the early 1980’s.

I wasn’t used to sitting in seats on this tour and we had a great view of the crowd which participated fully throughout the set. I got the impression that the band really enjoyed playing to a willing crowd of that size.

Wes Borland of Limp Bizkit doing his best retro James Hetfield imitation
The Limp Bizkit boys
Fred Durst still has it!
The Friday Night crew

I guess the one advantage to having seats was that we could sit down in between sets. After what seemed like forever, the lights dimmed and “Long Way to The Top” blared from the speakers in the center of the stadium. It was time.

Metallica took the stage and tore into “Creeping Death”. Amidst my excitement, I noticed that the audio was much different from the stands than it was earlier on the tour when I was standing in general admission. The mix was much cleaner, and I could distinctly hear all four instruments. The view of the stage was cool, too. I could easily see all four band members at any time which is impossible from general admission or the Snakepit. Maybe this perspective would not be so bad.

I wasn’t able to get my up-close photos this time around, but the view was pretty good anyway
James Hetfield in the guitar playing and singing zone!
The M72 Stage is just wild

Having seen them so many times on this tour, the set was familiar at this point. That did not make it any less exciting. The audience hung on every note, singing along and pumping their fists in the air. Even from the stands I felt connected to the audience and the band.

Metallica played “Holier Than Thou” in the third slot which brought me back to the first M72 show we saw in Paris two years prior when they also played it. I love that they stuck with this song for so long on the tour, it is an unheralded “Black Album” classic.

“If Darkness Had a Son” stood out to me as well, the Hetfield-lead “Temptation!” chant brought the energy in the stadium to a fever pitch. Watching the band play “Orion” near the drumkit was a near-religious experience. The pyro during the intro to “Fuel” was stunning and brought a huge cheer from the crowd.

The band in close quarters for Orion
Gimmie fuel!

They brought it home with “Seek and Destroy” (featuring exactly 72 beach balls being dropped from the lighting towers into the crowd) and “Master of Puppets”. We were drained and so was the crowd.

Exactly 72 beach balls

We walked along the river and made our way back to Little Raven Street. It was among the easiest commutes back to our hotel after a concert on the whole tour.

Saturday June 28, 2025

Saturday was earmarked as “Tourist in Denver Day” so we got up and headed into town. I had to run an errand. I forgot to pack a pair of jeans for the planned motorcycle ride on Monday so we took an Uber to the Cherry Creek mall so I could buy a pair.

The mall is directly across the street from Urban Egg, so we went there for brunch. I ordered the breakfast burrito, and it was slamming good!

Love me a good breakfast burrito

Something I enjoyed about Denver was the shared e-scooters scattered throughout the city. I once lived in Hoboken, NJ and they had Lime e-scooters for a few months. The local Karens complained that they felt unsafe because of them, so the city declined to bring them back after the first season. Not Denver, they embrace personal travel devices, and they were plentiful across the city. They are so much more convenient and fun than using Uber to get around.

After breakfast we took Lime Scooters along the Cherry Creek Trail to get back to the hotel. The trail is below street level and serves as a straight shot to get through the city with several points of entry. Riding up and down that trail turned out to be one of the most fun things we did in Denver.

Earlier in the trip, I noticed an amusement park near the river called Elitch Gardens. I suggested we head over for the afternoon. It was neat to find something like that in the middle of the day, we walked through and hit a few of the roller coasters.

An amusement park in the middle of town

After making it through most of the afternoon there, we went back to the hotel to get ready for the evening. We planned to meet Chris and Nicole for dinner and drinks. We started off with a happy hour at a rooftop bar with nice views of the city called Sorry Gorgeous. It was one of the better views we had of the city while we were on the trip, we could see skyscrapers with the Rocky Mountains off in the distance.

Rooftop happy hour

We met Chris and Nicole for dinner at Fish N Beer. I ordered fish and beer. We had a fun time with Chris and Nicole. Chris has an interesting career arc, and he is full of stories about it. He certainly is a fascinating guy to have dinner with.

Following dinner, we went to TRVE Brewing Company which is a heavy metal-themed bar. The décor was interesting, but the music was boring and the bar was dead. It wasn’t a very good showing for a heavy metal bar considering the greatest heavy metal band of all time was there to play two concerts that weekend.

TRVE bar. At least it looks cool. The beer and the music sucked.

We spent some time at TRVE and Chris and Nicole called it a night. Susan and I found a nearby bar named Hi-Dive. A band was playing when we got there but wrapped their set shortly thereafter, and the crowd cleared out. It became apparent to me that nightlife in Denver really isn’t a thing. Without much else to do, we called it a night.

Sunday June 29, 2025

Today was going to be a big day, we were going to see Metallica one last time on the US leg of the M72 World Tour! We started the day with brunch at Syrup Cap Hill. I was impressed with brunch for the second day in a row.

They do brunch well in Denver

After we ate, we went to Downtown Aquarium Denver. This was the most exotic aquarium we saw on our M72 travels. They had two piebald chuckwallas, and two critically endangered Sumatran Tigers. I liked the tigers; they reminded me of my cats Ozzy and Lemmy.

Two piebald chuckwallas
Big cat!

This was the 9th city that I had seen on the M72 World Tour, but I had yet to get one of the t-shirts made specifically for one of the shows. Either the lines were too long, or they were sold out before I could get one every time I tried. But Chris got on the line at the merchandise stand before the show on Friday and got me one. I had time after the aquarium, so I returned the favor by getting on the merchandise stand line and buying us the corresponding Sunday shirts.

Susan organized a get-together with some local friends at the Patio at Sloan’s before the show. We met Chris and Nicole there for something to eat. Having time for a civilized dinner was a rare luxury on the M72 World Tour. For the most part we had general admission tickets, so we had to get there early to secure a good spot near the stage. Since we had seats for Denver, there was no rush to get there.

We arrived in time to see most of Pantera’s set. I was happy, but Susan declared that she had seen enough of Pantera on the tour. I don’t get what her problem was.

Rex and Phil from Pantera
The Sunday Night Crew, bearing a close resemblance to the Friday Night Crew

After Pantera finished, we had one last one hour wait for our final Metallica set on the M72 World tour. I really felt the gravity of the situation, having followed the tour for three years across four countries. As bittersweet as the moment was, my head was ready to explode when the lights went off.

Predictably, Metallica opened the set with Whiplash, and the crowd went wild. I don’t recall any other tour where Whiplash was the opener, but it was the perfect choice for the M72 layout. It immediately whipped the crowd into a frenzy and set the energy level to high.

Watching these last two shows from the stands turned out to be better than I thought it would. I wasn’t close enough to have James sweat on me or catch any picks at the end of the show, but the layout of the stage in the center of the field and the crowd activity made it feel like an intimate affair anyway.

The sound quality is also a lot better from the outside of the speakers, rather than on the inside, which is how you listen when you are close to the stage. We could see every inch of the stage, see all four band members clearly, and hear every note perfectly throughout the entire show.

M72 Night 2
James and the band are feeling it
Not only is he the coolest guy in the room, but he’s got the coolest guitar in the band!

From our great vantage point, we spent the rest of the show letting Metallica batter our senses as they tore through the set. The highlights for me were in the middle of the show with powerful renditions of some of my favorites, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Wherever I May Roam, and The Call of Ktulu.

Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo having fun with their daily “doodle”
Metallica filling a stadium with their sound and lights
72 more beach balls

Following the grand finale of Enter Sandman, the band gave thanks to the crew for their work on the US leg of the M72 World Tour. It was hard to believe that after three years, it would be my last Metallica concert on home soil on this tour.

Monday June 30, 2025

Now that the Metallica part of the vacation was over, it was time to move on to our second priority for the trip: ride a Harley through the Rocky Mountains. I booked a full-bagger rental at Easy Rider in Denver.

The plan was to ride to Breckenridge for the day, and to return the next day, forming a scenic route in both directions. I asked for advice in a Facebook motorcycle group and picked out the best ideas I could find for the route. Easy Rider would let us stash our suitcases and remaining luggage there while we rode so we just packed the essentials for the two days.

We arrived at Eagle Rider as soon as they opened. The receptionist checked me in and insisted I get the walk away insurance for the bike. I thought it was a bit of an upsell, but I also assumed that they would come after me for thousands of dollars if I somehow chipped the paint so went ahead with it.

We rented a Harley in Paris and in Sedona on earlier stops on the M72 World Tour, but this was the biggest bike of the three. It had two hard saddlebags and a top case for storage. It was much bigger and heavier than the Fat Boy that I own.

We loaded the bike up and Susan got on back. I fired it up and struggled to engage first gear with the clutch. The friction zone was in a different place than mine and I had a hard time finding it. It took me a few tries, but I managed to pull away from the curb and head towards the highway. I felt uneasy on the bike; it was much bigger and bulkier than anything I had been on before, but once I was moving it was fine.

We left the city on and headed west on CO-74. The views as we headed towards the mountains were already stunning. Susan suggested we stop at Red Rocks Amphitheater which was along the route.

There was no event at the time, but the amphitheater was open to the public. It was a long walk uphill and then upstairs to get all the way up there, but it was a very cool view from the top.

Red Rocks Amphitheater

We got back on the bike and headed west towards a small town named Georgetown at the northern terminus of Guanella Pass Road. On a map, this looked like an awesome road with hundreds of turns and twists traversing a big mountain.

I felt like the motorcycle trip really started when we hit Guanella pass road. Lots of ups and downs and vistas as far as the eye can see. I had to focus on keeping the bike under control on the hairpin turns while trying to take everything in. We passed a herd of Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep that were hanging out on the road.

We stopped at a scenic rest area at the top of the mountain. Susan pointed out that the mountain range we were looking at had no trees above a certain point indicating that the elevation was at about 11,500 feet.

Susan the top of the Guanella pass, we were just at the tree line
Our fully-insured ride

We got back on the bike to continue south down Guanella Pass Road. I approached the exit of the parking lot and came to a stop to look for cross traffic. Before I knew what happened, I felt the bike going down and dumped it.

The bike was nearly at a standstill when it came down, and we both hit the asphalt. Before I could even move, I checked with Susan to ask if she was OK and she said yes. The bike hadn’t landed on either of us, and we didn’t fall hard enough to get hurt.

I was shocked. I could only recall one time I dropped a bike that was moving and it was in my first year as a bike owner in 1999 in a gas station parking lot. I have over 130,000 miles of riding experience since then, so I felt like I knew what I was doing. I even hit a deer while travelling 55 miles per hour in upstate New York with Susan on back and the bike didn’t go down.

While I was still gathering my thoughts, the 800 lb. bike was laying on the ground and leaking brake fluid from the front brake reservoir. The bike’s tilt mechanism cut the engine off. I started to lift the bike, and Susan grabbed it from the back and helped me get it upright. I didn’t even stop to think that was the wrong way to do it, but what we did worked.

I surveyed the damage. The right saddlebag was scratched and the tip of the front brake lever snapped off. Between us not getting injured and me buying the walk away insurance earlier in the day, my biggest problem was a severely dented ego.

I shut the bike on and off to reset the tilt cutoff and tried to get the bike going. For some reason, it wouldn’t get up to speed, I couldn’t get it above about 10 mph. I didn’t know it until later, but that was expected behavior. The bike automatically entered a temporary “limp” mode so the system could stabilize before returning to normal operation.

I was unaware of that feature and thought the bike was broken. I rode it around the parking lot a few times to no avail. I tried to call roadside assistance, but because I was on the top of a mountain, there was no signal. Without much choice, I kept circling the parking lot until the bike came back to life. Susan hopped back on and we continued south to the bottom of the mountain pass.

I suppose I was a little bit rattled, but a bike that’s moving can’t just fall over so I was fine as we kept going. The mountain was just as beautiful on the way down as it was on the way up. We got to US 285 and headed west towards CO-9 which would take us north to Breckenridge for the evening.

I noticed a sudden drop in temperature and the thermometer on the console read 500F. The sky turned gray and it started to rain. I’ve ridden through the rain hundreds of times. It is unpleasant, but it is nothing I can’t handle. Then it started to hail.

It felt like I was in the middle of a science fiction movie. I couldn’t see anything, I was freezing, and I was getting pelted in the face with hail. I badly wanted somewhere to pull over, but we were in the middle of nowhere. There was no shoulder, no cross streets, no exits, no gas stations, nowhere to safely go. Susan insisted that I stop, and with no other choice, I parked on the fog line and hoped we didn’t get flattened by a truck that didn’t see us on the road. The drop at the top of the mountain suddenly didn’t seem like much of a problem anymore.

Eventually the hail let up so we were able to start moving again. We were freezing and soaked to the bone. I found a gas station with a cafeteria, and we went inside to get out of the rain. They had the air conditioning running and it made us feel even colder. We stayed there until the rain slowed to a drizzle and we powered through to Breckenridge. I had never been so happy to park the motorcycle and call it a day!

We checked into a hotel called Gravity Haus and changed out of our wet clothes, much to our relief. I noticed my nose had some light bruising from being smacked in the face with hail at 50mph. I sat down to catch my breath and dry out.

I suppose we have an expectation that every minute of our vacations should be as perfect as we planned and nothing ever should go wrong. I consider myself to be a very experienced and confident rider. Given all that I was having a hard time shaking the notion that I struggled with the bike, and I had to get it back to Denver the next day.

I texted a few friends that ride motorcycles to confess what happened. I reached out to Andrew who was part of what inspired me to ride in the first place and told him about the struggles with the clutch and the drop. He thought the whole experience sounded cool anyway. I sent a similar text to Ralph, who is the most experienced rider I know. He also thought it sounded like a great experience, and he apparently resisted the urge to make fun of me.

I had to let it go. If this was the worst thing that happened to me in three years of following the M72 World Tour, I’d take it. I’d figure out the clutch and make it back to Denver and have an awesome time doing so.

We headed out and walked around Breckenridge. It sits in a beautiful location among the mountains. As such, the real estate listings reminded us that we were interlopers in their exclusive neighborhood.

The views from Breckenridge

We stopped at the Breckenridge Distillery Tasting Room for a whisky flight. We followed that up with dinner at Radicato Breckenridge Italian which exceeded my expectations. It felt surreal that just a few hours prior, we were stranded on the side of a highway being pelted with hail. It was a calming way to end the day, and I slept like a brick when we got back to the hotel.

Monday July 1, 2025

I woke up determined to make the most out of the day on the road. We grabbed a quick breakfast in town and got back on the bike. I planned a simple route, CO-9 north to US-40 east to I-70 east back to Denver. It would take us around a large mountain range and point us back towards the city.

This turned out to be one of the most breathtaking motorcycle trips I have ever been on. I was left alone with my thoughts, concentrating on maneuvering hairpin turns and steep grades while admiring the stunning scenery. I got the hang of the clutch and didn’t have any problems throughout the day. I was fully connected to the road and felt good the whole time.

There were moments when I instinctively wanted to grab my phone and take pictures of where we were. But there was no need to stop and record what I was seeing, it meant a lot more to be present in the moment.

We stopped for a quick lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Winter Park before we got back on the Interstate towards Eagle Rider to drop the bike off. The traffic got rough when we got closer to the city which really tested my newfound ability to work the clutch. I could tell that Susan was happy to be done with the bike after all that had happened.

It was time to show the bike to the receptionist at Eagle Rider. It was the same woman who sold me the walk away insurance. I didn’t mention the drop and was waiting for her to say something before I would shrug my shoulders and say, “I’m insured”.

For reasons I can’t explain, she looked right at the damage and didn’t say anything about it at all. She asked me to sign off without a word. Either she noticed it and knew it was covered so there was no need to discuss it, or she was dumb. It was no matter to me, we grabbed our stuff, hailed an Uber, and got out of there!

We had a simple dinner where we were staying at Hotel Indigo which was near Coors Field. And because “when in Rome,” we grabbed a pre-roll at The Green Solution Recreational Marijuana Dispensary down the block.

Epilogue

It was ironic that we initially moved the trip to avoid bad weather and still got stuck in a nasty hailstorm. But in the end, that was just a humorous footnote. The Colorado trip was a huge success. Metallica kicked ass and everything about the city and the mountains was amazing.

Including my home state of New Jersey, this was the ninth city that I saw Metallica play on the M72 World Tour, spanning four countries. I got to live my dream of seeing the greatest band of all time on the road. Every show was special, from the first one in Paris to the final one in Denver. I have distinct memories of each one. I also have stories and pictures of every place I visited, several of which I probably would not have visited were it not for Metallica.

This wasn’t quite the end for me, I had tickets to see Back to The Beginning in Birmingham, UK that Saturday and Metallica was going to open for Ozzy Osbourne with an abbreviated set. But it was the end of my M72 journey, and I was satisfied that it was done right. I was especially grateful for the great company I had along the way.

My M72 Would Tour Itinerary

Show #DateVenueCity
15/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
25/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
38/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
48/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
58/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
68/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
79/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
87/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
97/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
108/2/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
118/4/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
125/23/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA
135/25/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA
146/14/2025NRG StadiumHouston, TX
156/27/2025Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO
166/29/2025Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO

My lifetime Metallica concert history

Show #ShowDateVenueDescriptionCityTour/EventVantagePoint
14/8/1992Brendan Byrne ArenaEast Rutherford, NJWherever We May RoamSeats
27/17/1998Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJPoor Retouring MeSeats
311/24/1998Roseland BallroomNew York, NYGarage BarrageGeneral Admission
411/23/1999Madison Square GardenNew York, NYS&MSeats
57/20/2000Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer SanitariumGeneral Admission
67/8/2003Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium 2003General Admission
74/20/2004Nassau ColiseumUniondale, NYMadly In Anger With The WorldGeneral Admission
810/22/2004Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJMadly In Anger With The WorldGeneral Admission
91/17/2009Wachovia CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorld MagneticSeats
101/31/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld MagneticGeneral Admission
112/1/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld MagneticSeats
1211/14/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld MagneticGeneral Admission
1311/15/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld MagneticSeats
149/14/2011Yankee StadiumNew York, NYThe Big 4General Admission
156/23/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + MoreGeneral Admission
166/24/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + MoreGeneral Admission
175/12/2017Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAWorldwiredGeneral Admission
185/14/2017MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJWorldwiredGeneral Admission
195/17/2017The New Coliseum Presented by NYCVUniondale, NYWorldwiredGeneral Admission
207/19/2017Parc Jean-DrapeauMontreal, QCWorldwiredSnake Pit
2110/20/2018Bryce Jordan CenterState College, PAWorldwiredGeneral Admission
2210/25/2018Wells Fargo CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorldwiredGeneral Admission
239/6/2019Chase CenterSan Francisco, CAS&M2Seats
249/24/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than LifeGeneral Admission
259/25/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than LifeGeneral Admission
265/29/2022Harvard Athletic ComplexBoston, MABoston CallingGeneral Admission
278/11/2022Highmark StadiumBuffalo, NY(none)General Admission
285/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World TourSeats
295/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World TourSeats
308/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World TourGeneral Admission
318/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World TourGeneral Admission
328/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World TourGeneral Admission
338/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World TourGeneral Admission
349/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZM72 World TourGeneral Admission
357/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World TourSnake Pit
367/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World TourSnake Pit
378/2/2024Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MAM72 World TourGeneral Admission
388/4/2024Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MAM72 World TourGeneral Admission
395/23/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAM72 World TourSnake Pit
405/25/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAM72 World TourGeneral Admission
416/14/2025NRG StadiumHouston, TXM72 World TourSnake Pit
426/27/2025Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, COM72 World TourSeats
436/29/2025Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, COM72 World TourSeats
447/5/2025Villa ParkBirmingham, EnglandBack to The BeginningSeats

Link to YouTube playlist of all official Metallica concert videos I have been present for.

Metallica songs I have seen performed on the M72 World Tour

SongTimes Seen
Creeping Death9
Fuel9
Lux Æterna9
Nothing Else Matters9
Orion9
Sad But True9
Seek and Destroy9
Enter Sandman8
For Whom The Bell Tolls8
Harvester Of Sorrow8
If Darkness Had A Son8
Master of Puppets8
One8
Ride The Lightning8
The Day That Never Comes8
72 Seasons7
King Nothing7
Moth Into Flame7
The Call of Ktulu7
Wherever I May Roam7
The Unforgiven6
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)6
Whiplash6
Battery5
Blackened5
Fade To Black5
Holier Than Thou5
Shadows Follow5
The Memory Remains5
Too Far Gone?5
Whiskey In The Jar5
Cyanide4
Hardwired3
Screaming Suicide3
You Must Burn!3
Fight Fire With Fire2
Inamorata2
Leper Messiah2
Until It Sleeps2
Dirty Window1
I Disappear1
No Leaf Clover1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Unique:43
Total:245

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

SongTimes Seen
Nothing Else Matters34
Enter Sandman33
Master of Puppets33
One33
Sad But True33
Seek and Destroy30
For Whom The Bell Tolls28
Creeping Death26
Fuel21
Fade To Black20
Wherever I May Roam18
Battery16
Blackened16
Moth Into Flame16
Ride The Lightning16
The Day That Never Comes15
The Unforgiven15
Harvester Of Sorrow14
Whiplash14
The Memory Remains13
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)13
Holier Than Thou11
Cyanide10
Hardwired10
King Nothing10
Orion10
The Call of Ktulu10
Lux Æterna9
Whiskey In The Jar9
Fight Fire With Fire8
If Darkness Had A Son8
72 Seasons7
Now That We’re Dead7
Atlas, Rise!6
No Leaf Clover6
The Four Horsemen6
All Nightmare Long5
Broken, Beat And Scarred5
Halo On Fire5
Of Wolf and Man5
Shadows Follow5
That Was Just Your Life5
The End Of The Line5
Too Far Gone?5
Breadfan4
Hit The Lights4
Last Caress4
Until It Sleeps4
I Disappear3
Screaming Suicide3
St. Anger3
The God That Failed3
Through the Never3
Turn The Page3
You Must Burn!3
Am I Evil?2
Bleeding Me2
Blitzkrieg2
Die, Die My Darling2
Dirty Window2
Don’t Tread On Me2
Frantic2
Inamorata2
Last Caress/Green Hell2
Leper Messiah2
Motorbreath2
My Friend Of Misery2
Overkill2
The Outlaw Torn2
The Shortest Straw2
The Struggle Within2
The Thing That Should Not Be2
Trapped Under Ice2
– Human1
(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth1
…And Justice For All1
All Within My Hands1
Confusion1
Damage Inc.1
Devil’s Dance1
Disposable Heroes1
Dyers Eve1
Escape1
Hell And Back1
Helpless1
Hero of the Day1
Hole in The Sky1
Iron Foundry1
Johnny Blade1
Jump In The Fire1
Justice Medley1
Killing Time1
Last Caress/So What/Die, Die My Darling1
Low Man’s Lyric1
Mastertarium1
Mercyful Fate1
Metal Militia1
My Apocalypse1
No Remorse1
Phantom Lord1
Sabbra Cadabra1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Small Hours1
So What1
Spit Out The Bone1
Stone Cold Crazy1
The Ecstasy of Gold1
The Judas Kiss1
The Prince1
The Unforgiven III1
The Wait1
Unique:111
Total:735

No Mercy from the Ghost Within

A diary of my trip to Foxborough to see Metallica on the M72 World Tour in August 2024.

My final stop on the Metallica M72 World Tour was in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It was an easy decision to pick Foxborough as a destination because it was easily drivable from home in New Jersey. Anytime Metallica plays a drivable concert for me, I buy tickets and go.

I put together a group of friends to spend the weekend in Boston and go to both shows. There was no rain in the forecast for Thursday or Monday so instead of driving, I readied my motorcycle and plotted a scenic route to Boston. I could not ask more for a long early-August weekend: spending time with friends, taking a motorcycle trip, and going to see the greatest band of all time twice.

August 1, 2024

I promised myself the last time I drove to Boston (to see Metallica in 2022, of course) that I was never again going to just take the most efficient route through Connecticut. The main roads are typically choked with traffic and uninteresting. Instead, I plotted a scenic route through southern Vermont. Vermont is not on the way to Boston from my home in New Jersey, but this ride was about the journey.

I woke up early, mounted my luggage on the bike, and hit the road towards the Bear Mountain Bridge. The Bear Mountain Bridge is an out-of-the-way Hudson River crossing that is not part of any major Interstate Highway. It leads to highway 9D in Putnam County, New York. Once I crossed the bridge, the scenery for most of the ride was beautiful.

I took 9D to Cold Spring, New York and headed east through some state highways and backroads until I hit US-7 in Connecticut. I took that north through Massachusetts and into Vermont. I left Massachusetts so I could come back to Massachusetts! This is what you do when you take the scenic route on the bike.

It was about when I reached Bennington, Vermont that I stopped to check the time to Boston. I had to be cleaned up and ready to meet my friend Erin for dinner at 7 PM. I hooked a right and headed east through the mountains to Brattleboro. I went south to Route 2 and took that east to Boston. Traffic picked up the closer I got to the city, but my main mission was accomplished. I took the most scenic and least hectic route I could find between my home and Boston.

Trace of my ride from New Jersey to Boston through the mountains of west MA and south VT
Wearing over 300 miles of road grit on my face

I cut my timing for dinner very close. I jumped off the bike, checked in to the hotel, showered up, hopped in an Uber, ran up a flight of stairs, and breathlessly greeted Erin. I did my best to hold up my end of the conversation after 325 miles and eight and a half hours on the motorcycle.

It was a work night for Erin so after dinner I found my good friends Gail and Joe who were in town for the weekend. Joe was coming to both Metallica shows and Gail was along for the sightseeing. We had a few drinks, and I had to call it a night.

August 2, 2024

Friday was the first big day of the weekend; we were going to get to see Metallica at night! My plan was to refrain from drinking so I could focus on the show at the stadium. Pooch arrived in town shortly after noon, and we met him at the Dorchester Brewing Company for lunch. Pooch is a great guy to travel with if you are into drinking craft beer and eating barbecue. They had both at Dorchester.

I went with him to another brewery on his list (he has a brewery list everywhere he goes), Castle Island Brewing for the rest of the afternoon. We drove past the highway and saw first-hand how bad the Boston traffic was headed out of town. As a group, we decided to take the train to Foxborough to save ourselves from the trouble of sitting in traffic.

We went back to the hotel and got the group together to head out to the train station. Ed rolled in just as we were leaving (he lost about two hours to the aforementioned traffic between New Jersey and Boston) and he hurried along with us to the train.

The trip from Boston to Foxborough sucks. The stadium is nowhere near the city and the roads are unable to handle event-day traffic flow. I highly recommend taking the train if you ever have the misfortune of having to make the same trip. It was relatively painless.

The train dropped us off at the parking lot and we grabbed something to eat outside the stadium. We headed in to catch the end of Mammoth WVH’s set.

Headed into Gillette Stadium
Wolfgang Van Halen from behind

We settled in near the center of the stage on the opposite side of the entrance. We were able to get close and had a good view of half of the stage from where we were standing. We were excited for the second act to come on. Pantera hit the stage and tore through a blistering set.

Pantera guitarist Zakk Wylde, the 5th Greatest Guitar Player of All Time
Charlie Benante on drums
All the money Pantera made on this tour, Phil still can’t afford socks and shoes

Pantera will obviously never be the same without the deceased Abbott brothers. But there could not be a better replacement for Vinnie Paul than Charlie Benante. And if you must replace Dimebag Darrell with someone, it might as well be the 5th greatest guitar player of all time, Zakk Wylde.

The crowd was hot for this show. It looked like a lot of us had seen the original Pantera lineup 25 years ago. There was a lot of singing and head-banging. I thought they picked up some younger fans while they were at it.

Throughout the tour, the wait between the end of the Pantera set and the beginning of the Metallica set feels like it lasts a day. I don’t even know what to do with myself while I’m waiting.

Killing time between sets with a selfie

By the time AC/DC played, I was fired up and ready to rage! In just a few minutes, Metallica hit the stage. Lars Ulrich counted in “Creeping Death”, and it was on. I knew they were going to start with “Creeping Death”, and I was still amazed. The wave of energy that sweeps a football stadium when Metallica begins their set is indescribable. People are yelling, singing, head banging, moshing, even crying tears of joy. It is an experience unlike anything else.

The third song in the set was “Leper Messiah” and this was only the second time I’ve ever seen this classic played live. Metallica always finds a way to make each show memorable like this.

The rest of the set was standard M72 World Tour stuff. A combination of songs that spanned the band’s entire career, from the “Kill ‘Em All” to “72 Seasons” albums. Nobody in heavy metal has a catalog like theirs, and each song they chose to play filled the entire football stadium. The production, the sound, and the band battered our senses for two hours.

James, Kirk, and Lars
Kirk and Robert
Kirk and Lars looking heroic

They capped the setlist with a ferocious rendition of “Master of Puppets” and we were spent. We made a quick trip to the train because if we missed it, we were going to have to sleep in the parking lot. The train was slow to leave, because a passenger had a medical emergency and had to be removed. But once it got going, we made a straight shot back to the city and to our hotel.

August 3, 2024

Before Pooch visits a new locale, he does PhD-level research on the local bars and restaurants. He can find the best craft beer and barbecue before he even arrives. So, we left Saturday planning to him.

We started off at the Tip Tap Room for brunch. From there we walked around Downtown Boston for the afternoon, making several stops along the way. We hit the Distraction + Democracy Beer Garden at Boston’s Old City Hall, the Sam Adams Downtown Boston Taproom, and a handful of other breweries. Did I mention Pooch likes his breweries?

Bill Walton statue
One of the many breweries on Pooch’s spreadsheet

Saturday was a standout day on my Metallica M72 World Tour journey. On some of my trips, Saturday was full of sightseeing and moving around from place to place. This time, I got to spend a relaxing day with like-minded friends, enjoying our trip to a city we would not have gone to had it not been for Metallica.

The plan for the evening was to find a sports bar that was showing WWE SummerSlam. Pooch and I are huge WWE fans and did not want to miss the biggest show of the summer. Pooch contacted Banners at TD Garden and was told they were going to show it on the big screen, so we went there for dinner. We arrived and comedy ensued.

We checked in at the hostess stand, and asked to be seated with a view of the screen that would air SummerSlam. The hostess had no idea what we were talking about. Pooch told her that he had emailed a gentleman who told him they would show SummerSlam and that was why we were there.

Pooch told her that the email came from a gentleman named Sam. The guy standing next to the hostess said, “I’m Sam!”. Then he denied sending that email and said maybe we talked to a different Sam.

This led to somewhat of a tense argument, and even Joe who is not a WWE fan complained loud enough that they decided to seat us and put SummerSlam on the big screen after all.

Pooch and I were happy we got to watch the show. It was the best WWE show since WrestleMania 40 earlier in the year. Even Ed got into it, he liked the pants that Seth Rollins wore. We stayed through the end when Roman Reigns made his surprise return to WWE at the conclusion of the main event. It was cool that I found a way to combine WWE with one of my Metallica trips.

We had some post-show drinks and then headed back to the hotel. It was a long day, and we had to get up for the big day on Sunday. One more Metallica show to go.

August 4, 2024

We had one more round of sightseeing before it was time to head to the concert. We started with a historical ferry tour of Boston Harbor. The tour guide was knowledgeable and kept us engaged with the tour. One bit of Boston history that I learned from him was that Boston was mostly filled in over time and that it was not entirely natural land.

Boston Harbor from our tour boat
The Man’s boat
The best dressed crew on the tour boat

Next up was a trip to the New England Aquarium which was a block away from the ferry. We were greeted near the entrance by a somewhat randy pair of penguins.

Get a room!

Next, we wandered over to the tropical fish tank. Much to my surprise, Pooch was a tropical fish expert. He used to own a tank and had a wealth of knowledge about tropical fish and was able to point out several species without having to check the guide.

Pooch can name every one of these fish!

We toured the whole aquarium, including the four-story ocean tank, and the sea lion show.

Trained sea lions

After the aquarium, we stopped for a barbecue lunch (refer to my earlier comments about Pooch and barbecue) and went back to the hotel to get ready to head out to Metallica.

That afternoon, we made a bad tactical mistake. We decided to drive to Foxborough rather than take the train, assuming that there would be no rush hour traffic to get there on a Sunday. Erin was going to join us for the Sunday concert, so we grabbed her and headed to the stadium.

The forecast was awful for Sunday night, and it proved to be correct. We arrived at the stadium parking lot, and it was raining heavily. We walked towards the stadium through the Patriots Way pavilion and upon arrival, a sign said the stadium was closed and we should seek shelter. This was problematic as we wanted to get there and find a good spot on the floor.

We ducked into a nearby bar and ordered some food and waited out the rain. It started to drag on and I started to get nervous there would be a weather delay or a cancellation of the whole show. I kept an eye on the Gillette Stadium X account, and after a significant wait, it posted an update that they were reopening the stadium. We hurried inside and found a spot near where we were on Friday. We were a bit further back, having lost some positions due to the stadium entry discombobulation.

I watched the Metallica X account feed, too. They announced that there would not be enough time for Ice Nine Kills to perform (no big deal) but Five Finger Death Punch would be able to play an abbreviated set. This would push the end of the show back until after 11 PM, likely costing the promoters and the band a nice chunk of change in overtime wages for the facility staff. At about 7:45 PM, Ivan Moody ran on stage and FFDP kicked off their set.

Better late than never, the show got started with Five Finger Death Punch

At this point in the tour, I felt like I had seen FFDP one too many times. I guess I could start to appreciate their live act, but I was never a fan to begin with and I did not see myself changing my opinion of the band after seeing them live.

As promised, FFDP kept their set short and for my final time in 2024, the wait for Metallica began.

Killing more time with a group pic
Highly sophisticated method of keeping that microphone dry

This would be my fifteenth show on the M72 World Tour and the anticipation for their set remained constant. It is always the longest hour of my life. I get anxious, nervous, excited, and when the lights go out, I get overjoyed.

Metallica hit the stage and Lars pounded on the drums. James Hetfield shredded the opening riff and shouted “Whiplash!” into the microphone and Gillette Stadium went ballistic. The rain delay was a thing of the past and the show was on.

We were a little further away than I’d like, but we could still see the whole thing pretty well

“Whiplash” quickly transitioned into “For Whom the Bell Tolls” and our excitement continued to skyrocket. We knew this song was coming and were ready to sing along and bang our heads to it. The band transitioned into the title track from their sophomore album “Ride the Lightning”, which just happens to be Ed’s favorite Metallica song. It was a delightful start to the show for everybody.

The rest of the career-spanning set was pure bliss. The crowd was electric, and the band fed off it. The song selection filled in the gaps from what they played on Friday night. We were treated to an epic performance of “Inamorata” before the ending sequence of songs that culminated with “Enter Sandman”. Before they played it, James made a joke about their beach balls not being deflated, a reference to one of the many New England Patriots cheating scandals that occurred in Gillette Stadium.

As excited as I was for the show, it was a huge bummer for me when it ended, knowing it would be the end of my M72 World Tour run. I had a great run, but I didn’t know if or when Metallica would hit the road again and what the tour would look like when they did.

I visited two European cities that I probably would not have seen otherwise and had many adventures with friends and family in the North American cities. I got to see the best band in the world perform 11 times. I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to do all of that.

I had plenty of time to reflect on it all as we attempted to drive home. The traffic situation leaving Gillette Stadium is an unmitigated disaster. We were already running late because of the rain and then sat in the lot forever waiting for it to even move. Unfortunately for Erin, she had to work the next morning, so it really threw her schedule off. If I ever visit Gillette Stadium again, I will take the train no matter what.

August 5, 2024

My last planned day off work for the M72 World Tour. I woke up, loaded up the bike, and split. I wanted to once again avoid the traffic on the Interstates and take a unique route, so I headed west on route 2 and took that to US 202 which goes all the way back to New Jersey.

Those who know me would tell you that thinking isn’t something I’m known for. But being on the bike is an isolating experience that traps you in your own thoughts. It gives me the opportunity to recognize the few thoughts I do have.

As I meandered southwest through Massachusetts and Connecticut, I thought about my entire tour itinerary and how much of a dream come true it was. Two European trips, four motorcycle trips, five cities visited, eleven Metallica concerts, and most importantly time spent with family and friends. I really couldn’t have asked for anything more.

The members of the band started to turn 60 on this tour. They are playing the fewest number of concerts per year than they ever have in their past. They shortened the set from 16 songs to 15 songs. Time is catching up to them. They are not going to tour forever and opportunities like this are running out. Knowing this, the best thing I could do to honor the experience was to live in the moment and enjoy the final ride of the tour.

I stopped for gas late in the afternoon. My phone had been ringing but I didn’t see it. My boss was trying to call me. The stock market went haywire that day. The trading system I’m responsible for had a technical issue causing it to fail and we missed an opportunity to trade in advantageous conditions. It was a big snap back to reality for me and it was time to get back to work.

Epilogue

For the first time in two years, I wasn’t holding tickets for a Metallica concert, nor did I have any travel plans. I had toyed with the idea of going to one of the remaining cities after Foxborough but when it was done, I felt like I had done enough for one two-year tour cycle.

The band headed west and then south to Mexico City to round out the remaining stops on the tour. I procrastinated writing my final blog entry. Things had returned to normal.

I assumed that Metallica would announce 2025 and potentially 2026 tour dates at some point in the fall. I was hoping somewhat for somewhere in South America because I have never been there. I was on a business trip to Fort Lauderdale and woke up to a barrage of text messages and social media updates from Metallica. They were going to tour the US again in 2025.

I quickly surveyed the cities and settled on Philadelphia and Denver as the two stops that would best suit me. I attempted to buy a Lux Æterna platform in Denver and Snake Pit passes for Philadelphia and got skunked on both. But I did manage to get good tickets for each. So, with much excitement, I can declare that I am not done with the M72 World Tour! Stay tuned for two more updates in 2025.

My M72 Would Tour Itinerary

Show #DateVenueCity
Complete15/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
25/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Denis, France
38/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
48/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ
58/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
68/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, Quebec, Canada
79/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZ
87/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
97/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, Spain
108/2/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
118/4/2024Gilette StadiumFoxborough, MA
Upcoming125/23/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA
135/25/2025Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA
146/27/2027Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO
156/29/2027Empower Field at Mile HighDenver, CO

My lifetime Metallica concert history

Show #ShowDateVenueDescriptionCityTour/Event
14/8/1992Brendan Byrne ArenaEast Rutherford, NJWherever We May Roam
27/17/1998Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJPoor Retouring Me
311/24/1998Roseland BallroomNew York, NYGarage Barrage
411/23/1999Madison Square GardenNew York, NYS&M
57/20/2000Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium
67/8/2003Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJSummer Sanitarium 2003
74/20/2004Nassau ColiseumUniondale, NYMadly In Anger With The World
810/22/2004Continental Airlines ArenaEast Rutherford, NJMadly In Anger With The World
91/17/2009Wachovia CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorld Magnetic
101/31/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
112/1/2009Prudential CenterNewark, NJWorld Magnetic
1211/14/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
1311/15/2009Madison Square GardenNew York, NYWorld Magnetic
149/14/2011Yankee StadiumNew York, NYThe Big 4
156/23/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
166/24/2012Bader FieldAtlantic City, NJOrion Music + More
175/12/2017Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
185/14/2017MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJWorldwired
195/17/2017The New Coliseum Presented by NYCVUniondale, NYWorldwired
207/19/2017Parc Jean-DrapeauMontreal, QCWorldwired
2110/20/2018Bryce Jordan CenterState College, PAWorldwired
2210/25/2018Wells Fargo CenterPhiladelphia, PAWorldwired
239/6/2019Chase CenterSan Francisco, CAS&M2
249/24/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
259/25/2021Highland Festival Grounds at KY Expo CenterLouisville, KYLouder Than Life
265/29/2022Harvard Athletic ComplexBoston, MABoston Calling
278/11/2022Highmark StadiumBuffalo, NY(none)
285/17/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
295/19/2023Stade de FranceSaint-Dennis, FRM72 World Tour
308/4/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
318/6/2023MetLife StadiumEast Rutherford, NJM72 World Tour
328/11/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
338/13/2023Stade OlympiqueMontreal, QCM72 World Tour
349/1/2023State Farm StadiumGlendale, AZM72 World Tour
357/12/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World Tour
367/14/2024Estadio Cívitas MetropolitanoMadrid, ESM72 World Tour
378/2/2024Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MAM72 World Tour
388/4/2024Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MAM72 World Tour

Link to YouTube playlist of all official Metallica concert videos I have been present for.

Metallica songs I have seen performed on the M72 World Tour

SongTimes Seen
Creeping Death6
Fuel6
Harvester Of Sorrow6
Lux Æterna6
Nothing Else Matters6
Orion6
Sad But True6
Seek and Destroy6
72 Seasons5
Enter Sandman5
For Whom The Bell Tolls5
If Darkness Had A Son5
King Nothing5
Master of Puppets5
Moth Into Flame5
One5
Ride The Lightning5
Shadows Follow5
The Call of Ktulu5
The Day That Never Comes5
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)5
Wherever I May Roam5
Battery4
Fade To Black4
The Unforgiven4
Too Far Gone?4
Whiplash4
Blackened3
Hardwired3
Holier Than Thou3
Whiskey In The Jar3
You Must Burn!3
Cyanide2
Inamorata2
Leper Messiah2
Screaming Suicide2
The Memory Remains2
Until It Sleeps2
Dirty Window1
Fight Fire With Fire1
I Disappear1
No Leaf Clover1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Unique:43
Total:170

All Metallica songs I have seen performed live

SongTimes Seen
Nothing Else Matters31
Enter Sandman30
One30
Sad But True30
Master of Puppets29
Seek and Destroy27
For Whom The Bell Tolls24
Creeping Death22
Fade To Black19
Fuel18
Wherever I May Roam16
Battery14
Blackened14
Moth Into Flame14
Ride The Lightning13
The Unforgiven13
Harvester Of Sorrow12
The Day That Never Comes12
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)12
Whiplash12
Hardwired10
The Memory Remains10
Holier Than Thou9
Cyanide8
King Nothing8
The Call of Ktulu8
Fight Fire With Fire7
Now That We’re Dead7
Orion7
Whiskey In The Jar7
Atlas, Rise!6
Lux Æterna6
No Leaf Clover6
The Four Horsemen6
72 Seasons5
All Nightmare Long5
Broken, Beat And Scarred5
Halo On Fire5
If Darkness Had A Son5
Of Wolf and Man5
Shadows Follow5
That Was Just Your Life5
The End Of The Line5
Breadfan4
Hit The Lights4
Last Caress4
Too Far Gone?4
Until It Sleeps4
I Disappear3
St. Anger3
The God That Failed3
Through the Never3
Turn The Page3
You Must Burn!3
Am I Evil?2
Bleeding Me2
Blitzkrieg2
Die, Die My Darling2
Dirty Window2
Don’t Tread On Me2
Frantic2
Inamorata2
Last Caress/Green Hell2
Leper Messiah2
Motorbreath2
My Friend Of Misery2
Overkill2
Screaming Suicide2
The Outlaw Torn2
The Shortest Straw2
The Struggle Within2
The Thing That Should Not Be2
Trapped Under Ice2
– Human1
(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth1
…And Justice For All1
All Within My Hands1
Confusion1
Damage Inc.1
Devil’s Dance1
Disposable Heroes1
Dyers Eve1
Escape1
Hell And Back1
Helpless1
Hero of the Day1
Iron Foundry1
Jump In The Fire1
Justice Medley1
Killing Time1
Last Caress/So What/Die, Die My Darling1
Low Man’s Lyric1
Mastertarium1
Mercyful Fate1
Metal Militia1
My Apocalypse1
No Remorse1
Phantom Lord1
Sabbra Cadabra1
Sleepwalk My Life Away1
Small Hours1
So What1
Spit Out The Bone1
Stone Cold Crazy1
The Ecstasy of Gold1
The Judas Kiss1
The Prince1
The Unforgiven III1
The Wait1
Unique:109
Total:654